The discussion paper gives a good preview of what we can expect from the ‘Energy Union Framework Strategy’ which is scheduled to be adopted and published by the EU Commission on 25 February. Reading the paper, it is clear that a more appropriate name for this key EU project would be ‘Energy and Climate Union’ or even ‘Climate and Energy Union’. Because the bottom-line of ‘why Europe needs an Energy Union’ is climate, says the EU Commission:

‘Europe has no choice: if it continues on the present path, the unavoidable challenge of shifting to a low-carbon economy will be made harder by the economic, social and environmental costs of having fragmented national energy markets. The Energy Union is the EU’s answer to this challenge.’ [My emphasis, AS.]

The Energy Union can thus be summarized as the European energy transition to a ‘sustainable, low-carbon and environment-friendly economy that is designed to last’.

12 Concrete actions

‘The Commission will develop a resilience and diversification package for gas, including facilitating a major increase in gas imports from the Southern route, the Mediterranean and Algeria.

The Commission will propose legislation to manage electricity security of supply at the European level and fully open capacity mechanisms to cross-border participation.

The Commission will propose a revision of the Decision on Intergovernmental Agreements to ensure more effective transparency and cooperation as well as full compliance with EU law.

The Commission will develop legislative proposals for a new European market design based on fully integrated wholesale and retail markets and delivering a new deal for energy consumers.

The Commission will propose legislation to improve the effectiveness of the European energy regulatory framework.

The Commission will fully engage with Member States and stakeholders in the development of regional approaches to market integration, as a step towards or an integral part of an EU-wide integrated market.

The Commission will propose new legislation to meet the 2030 energy efficiency target based on the revision of the energy efficiency and performance of buildings Directives.

The Commission will develop a ‘Smart Financing for Smart Buildings’-initiative to make existing buildings more energy-efficient, facilitating access to existing funding instruments.

The Commission will propose legislation to achieve the GHG reduction targets agreed at the October 2014 European Council in the ETS and non-ETS sectors.

The Commission will speed up the decarbonisation and electrification of the transport sector and integrate the energy and transport systems.

The Commission will propose legislation to meet the 2030 EU renewable target and ensure that the European renewable target is met cost-efficiently.

The Commission will develop a forward-looking, energy and climate-related R&I strategy to maintain European technological leadership and expand export opportunities.’

Let’s see what the official EU Commission communication will be on 25 February. I’m sure there will be last-minute changes; we still have 20 days to go and many stakeholders want to have their say. Meanwhile, I warmly recommend you to read about the 6 keys to successful delivery of a resilient European Energy Union. Some valuable advice for the EU Commission in there too.

Thank you for reading & sharing this blog!

¹ PS: if you want to use the leaked document for a blog, paper, article, or if you want to share it on social media, please use its original source, that is: this blog. Many thanks!

Update: the final EU Commission communication (25 February 2015) is here.